The term “Internet of Things” has come to describe a number of technologies and research disciplines that enable the Internet to reach out into the real world of physical objects. Technologies like RFID, short-range wireless communications, real-time localization and sensor networks are now becoming increasingly common, bringing the Internet of Things into commercial use.
For example, communications devices, such as mobile telephones or personal computers, allow a subscriber to attach to a communication network and communicate with other devices. Furthermore, a growth area is that of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, in which communications are sent between different devices without human intervention. Examples of the use of M2M communication include sensor networks (for example, networks for monitoring weather conditions), surveillance equipment (for example alarm systems, video monitoring, and so on), vehicle fleet management, vending machines, monitoring manufacturing and so on.
It is predicted that in the long term future, there will be billions of M2M devices, and the number of M2M devices will far exceed the number of devices used for communication between humans (such as mobile telephones, personal computers and so on).
These technologies foreshadow an exciting future that closely interlinks the physical world and cyberspace or the Internet—a development that is not only relevant to researchers, but to corporations and individuals alike. The vast number of connected devices has the capacity to create additional services for users by connecting devices to enable M2M communication in areas such as entertainment, government, health, transportation, utilities, manufacturing, financial services and retail.
A connected device may comprise or represent any device used to connect to or access wired or wireless communication networks and communicate with other devices. Examples of connected devices that may be used in certain embodiments of the invention are wired or wireless devices such as computers, mobile telephones, terminals, smart phones, portable computing devices such as lap tops, handheld devices, tablets, net-books, personal digital assistants and other devices that can connect and communicate over a wired or wireless communication network.
Media content may comprise or represent any data or signal used to convey information and ideas in different content forms. Examples of media content that may be used in certain embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, audio data or content, image data or content, video data or content, audiovisual data or content or multimedia content. Media content may be represented in a digital format.
Media devices may comprise or represent any device used to playback media content to an end user. Examples of media devices that may be used in certain embodiments of the invention are devices such as computers, mobile telephones, terminals, smart phones, set-top boxes, media players, video and DVD players, televisions, home entertainment systems, hi-fi systems, speakers or speaker systems, portable computing devices such as lap tops, handheld devices, tablets, net-books, personal digital assistants, connected devices capable of receiving media content and playback of the media content, and other devices that can receive and playback media content.
Distribution of media content such as audio, audiovisual or multimedia content to end users is becoming evermore problematic because the media content, in particular media content in a digital format (e.g. digital media content) is easily copied and can be distributed without the permission of the owner of the media content. Digital rights management (DRM) techniques may be used to limit the use of media content to only authorized end users. DRM may include digital watermark technology that may be incorporated into the media content in an attempt to identify the content owner, who is authorized to view the content, identity of the content and/or other information.
A digital watermark is data representative of a marker that is covert embedded in a noise-tolerant signal such as media content such as audio, image, video or audiovisual content or data. It is typically used to identify ownership of the copyright of such signal. “Watermarking” is the process of hiding digital information in media content (a carrier signal); the hidden information should, but does not need to contain a relation to the carrier signal. Digital watermarks may be used to verify the authenticity or integrity of the carrier signal or to show the identity of its owners.
Given the propensity for end-users to buy and/or download digital media content, which can be easily copied, some DRM technologies have been developed and used that can restrict the number of devices that may playback the media content and, also, who may access the media content. Unfortunately, these DRM technologies are quite inflexible leading to a poor user experience and frustration when attempting to playback the DRM protected media content on multiple media devices of the end-user. In addition, different media devices have different capabilities such that one type of media content is not necessarily suitable for playback on another media device. For example, audiovisual media content designed for playback on a smart-phone display may not be suitable for playback on a high-definition television.
Therefore, there is a significant need to optimise the distribution of media content to end-users to minimise the delays and frustration caused by attempts to playback media content on legitimate end user devices that may not necessarily be authorised to playback the media content, and that have different capabilities.